One of Orton’s previous finishers is back under the microscope.
The punt kick was a move used by Randy Orton to devastating to effect. Anyone he hit it with for a time would miss time from the ring to sell how powerful the kick was. John Cena’s Father, Vince McMahon, John Cena and Shawn Michaels all fell victim to the move. However, the move was banned in 2012 due to concerns that it could lead to concussions.
While speaking on The Universal Wrestling Podcast, former WWE writer Matt McCarthy talked about Randy Orton’s reaction to the ban.
“The feeling was if he does it as a shoot, he’s kicking someone full-blast in the head and we can’t do that. If he works it, it looks awful and we can’t do that. So now Randy doesn’t get to do his punt kick at all. And for months after this, any time you brought any creative to The Apex Predator, he would look at it and go, ‘So we can do this but I can’t do my punt kick?”
Randy Orton To The Universal Wrestling Podcast
Of course Orton would go onto use the move again in his feud with Edge and dismantling of Edge’s life in their feud a couple of years back.
H/T RingsideNews for Transcription
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